Witchwise is a thirteen minute film from the writer and creator of the 2003 film Darkness Falls, Joe Harris. Witchwise shows that not only can Joe write, but can in fact direct as well.
Witchwise is a film that is full of great camera angles, good production value and is supported by a pretty good script. Like most short film, you’d expect the quality and look to be that of an amateur film. However with this film you get a great clean picture, that can compare to any Hollywood based production. This film is full of great eye candy, enough to keep the viewer’s eyes glued on the screen. What I found to be most intriguing however was the feel of the script. The idea (Which I’ll get to in a second.) put you into two different genres. I personally got the feel of being in a Fantasy film, like Naria or Harry Potter, But at the same time your also in a horror film, like Halloween, or A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The film revolves around a young boy named Andrew, who helps his Aunt Mary out around the house, doing random chores like raking the leaves. However Aunt Mary has a secret of her own, and Andrew being the nosy young man that he is sneaks into her house and begins snooping though her things. He comes across a ring that has magical powers, however these powers are not so good, but rather can cause harm to anyone who holds the ring and it’s secret powers.
I know what your thinking, how do you cram a story like that into a thirteen minute short film, I myself wondered the same thing. However Joe Harris gets to the point with the film, rather than leading us on a wild goose chase. However my only problem was that I found myself so into the story that I wanted to know more of each characters background, and most important the background of this mysterious magical ring. But all in all, that my only complaint about the film, I wanted more.
In terms of acting, I can’t say that the film has academy award winning performances, but the actors did the job. The actors used in the film are all, for the most part up and coming actors, and all have landed rolls on multiply Television series. There is also a noticeable stage actor presence as well. (I pick up on these things, because I’ve used stage actors in my films as well.) They all tend to speak louder, and sound like their reading Shakespeare. However like I said, they all held their own and did a great job with helping get the point of the film across.
We do get some minor CGI effects, nothing special here, but it does look decent, and real. As far as make-up effect go, well they were pretty decent as well. Especially towards the end of the film.
Overall, Witchwise, is a great little masterpiece, that has all the right stuff to make a great horror film. The soundtrack alone is unbelievable. Seriously I loved the music in this film it really helped with the jumps and scares. So in a nutshell, Witchwise is just one of those short films that worth watching, If you get a chance to check it out, don’t pass it up.
– Horror Bob
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